Tag Archives: San Diego

During a visit to San Diego I stayed in Rancho Bernardo on the north end of town and looked for ways to spend some time outdoors, while also venturing off the beaten path.

The Battle Mountain hike I went on checked off both those boxes. You’ll find Battle Mountain just off I-15 with its entrance oddly enough between two houses in a highly residential area. I initially discovered and captured this hill on another walk.

I wound up doing this climb just after dawn on an overcast morning.

The short 15-20 minute hike was peaceful. It was a little steep and rocky at times but all-in-all not too bad. I noticed a lot of erosion along the way. My legs definitely got a workout. The climb is roughly 800 feet.

Once at the top, you will see up-close the 20 foot white cross that has stood since 1966. Battle Mountain got its name from a battle that was held nearby in San Pasqual Valley in the 1800’s. This spot was originally called Mule Hill as soldiers from those battles had to kill mules in order to have food to eat.

Expansive panoramic views awaited me at the top. I saw all the residential housing of northern San Diego County, along with Starvation and Iron Mountains, Lake Hodges and more.

The hike, well almost run, down the hill took only a matter of minutes. It was a great morning in the Rancho Bernardo part of San Diego walking/hiking up Battle Mountain and taking in the views. For anyone looking for a quick hike and something off the radar in northern San Diego County, this is your spot.

Tip: For a longer hiking adventure I highly recommend the San Dieguito River Park Trail, in which there is an entrance literally right across the street from Battle Mountain.

What other off the radar outdoor spots would you recommend checking out in San Diego?

The latest edition comes from Southern California and a city known for its mild climate all year long, beautiful San Diego.

Downtown scene from the San Diego–Coronado Bridge.

I was excited to get a first taste of what San Diego has to offer. Most of my shots are from Coronado Island and along San Diego Bay as well as from random spots on the interstate. Always have that camera ready in the car, especially if you are a passenger! Palm trees make me happy so a lot of the skyline views made me smile even more. Well without further ado.

When in San Diego a lot of people visit the world-renowned San Diego Zoo, which sits right in the heart of the city. While in town you should head thirty-five miles northeast and take in their other gem, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

While the main zoo has more animals, it’s limited in terms of space. That is certainly not the case at this expansive park just outside Escondido, California. The animals here roam outdoors within expansive enclosures and the parks 1,800 acres. They want the animals to experience a setting that resembles their natural habitat.

You can enjoy this up close on the Africa Tram. We went on the 40-plus minute tour with many others siting in a colorful train car. The tour guide explained to everyone what we were seeing all along the way.

We saw some of the three-thousand animals and three-hundred species that the San Diego Safari Park has to offer including giraffes, antelopes, buffalo, zebra, birds and rhinos. With the open dry land, greenery, mountains and desert off in the distance it kinda felt we were out in the wild. Below are some of the pictures I took during this safari tour experience.

Some other information:

Tours start at 10 a.m. running until 45 minutes before the park closes. We took one of the first tours out because the lines and wait will build fast leading into lunchtime.

You can purchase tickets at the tram entrance gate, but we got the 1-Day passes online to the Safari Park which includes the African Tram tour.

Bring plenty of fluids, especially in the summer. The park sits inland in the San Pasqual Valley, which has a desert like climate.

Have your cameras ready of course! The train will stop at various points for picture-taking opportunities.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of Southern California, near San Diego, sits the 92,000-acre open San Dieguito River Park. The park and all its natural space stretches from the Pacific coastline in Del Mar to Volcan Mountain some 50+ miles inland. You will find over 65 miles of trails of all shapes and sizes to enjoy the outdoors and some hiking adventure.

I spent separate mornings early this year checking out two trails in the northern part of San Diego in Rancho Bernardo. Both sat amongst suburbia, yet gave off the feeling of being in a deserted land far, far away.

The 2.1 Highland Valley Trail sits along the south side of the San Dieguito River Valley.

I entered the trail along Highland Valley Road and immediately could see the vast valley views looking north. The single path took me through and around small hills with times in the woods, passing by countless rock formations. It was a good early morning hike.

The Bernardo Bay Trails sit opposite I-15 along W. Bernardo Dr. Leaving the Natural Area parking area, I walked amongst coastal sage scrub on the 2.1 miles of hillside trails.

After a little bit out on the open dirt paths, Lake Hodges and Bernardo Bay was front-and-center. I didn’t happen to see any, but it is a good spot to check various species of birds. I did set up shop on a big rock to soak in the picturesque views in front of me.

Additional Information:
– There are no facilities on either trail.
– Both are bike friendly.
– In general you can’t venture off any of the trails in the park to help preserve all its nature, nor enter onto them at night.

When out on the open road the blue shoes and I make sure to soak in all the scenery. While staring at all the beauty this world has to offer, lots of solitude has been enjoyed in summer and winter, in big cities and small-towns, inside a coffee shop and outside in nature and in the desert, on the lake and more. Who knows where and when that next minute of alone time to reflect will occur when traveling?

The inspiration for this post is #FriFotos on Twitter whose theme this week is “Solitude”.

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Welcome to The Adventures of elATLboy. Im a lover of travel, the ATL, Pure Michigan, road trips and coffee. I’ll playfully talk about my past, current and future travels from Michigan, Atlanta, New Zealand and beyond.